Longhorns losing grip on Big 12

Steve Walentik

Monday

Feb 28, 2011 at 12:01 AMFeb 28, 2011 at 1:00 PM

Two weeks ago, Texas was cruising to its first outright Big 12 championship since 1999. The Longhorns won their first 11 conference games and held a two-game lead in the standings over Kansas after the Jayhawks’ humbling loss at Kansas State.

What’s more, Rick Barnes’ team had survived the toughest part of its league schedule, beating KU on the road, sweeping the season series with Texas A&M and knocking off nationally ranked Missouri at home.

But Texas stumbled in back-to-back road games against Nebraska and Colorado and now is in a tie with Kansas headed into the final week of the regular season.

The Longhorns don’t have much time to regain their footing as they play host to Kansas State at 8 tonight in Austin, Texas.

“We’ll come out and play hard,” Barnes said during this morning’s Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “Our focus, getting ready, has been good, so I would expect us to come out and play hard and compete.”

Barnes is not worried about a hangover from Saturday’s loss to the Buffaloes, when Texas squandered a 22-point first-half lead.

“Honestly, I think kids get over games really quick. I do,” he said. “I think they’re able to put them behind them. … If we should lose again, it’s not going to be because of those type things. It’ll be because we were beaten on the court.”

The Wildcats, led by senior guard Jacob Pullen, are capable of doing just that. They are the Big 12’s hottest team, having won four in a row and six of their last seven, including that 84-68 victory over KU.

Even if Texas wins at home tonight, it would likely need to survive a trip to Baylor on Saturday to be assured of a tie for the Big 12 title. The Bears are trying to fight their way into the NCAA Tournament.

Kansas’ schedule might be even more difficult. The Jayhawks play host to Texas A&M on Wednesday before traveling to rival Missouri on Saturday.

MISSOURI UPDATE

The Tigers, who slipped to 22nd in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, enter the final week of the season trying to hold onto fourth place in the Big 12 standings. The only way the Tigers can be assured of doing that and securing a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament is to knock off Nebraska on the road tomorrow night and follow it up with a home win over rival Kansas in Saturday’s regular-season finale.

“I want to see us play hopefully some of our better basketball as we get to this point in the year,” MU Coach Mike Anderson said. “We’ve played well at home, haven’t played as well on the road. I thought the game against Kansas State, I thought we were in position to win it, and I just thought we just didn’t have that energy you’ve got to have to finish. … Hopefully we can get better from the Kansas State game to the Nebraska game.”

Anderson is 6-7 all-time against NU Coach Doc Sadler, including 5-6 at their present schools.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Texas Tech Coach Pat Knight hasn’t met the man who will decide if he’ll return to Texas Tech for a fourth full season as head coach. That man, Kirby Hocutt, accepted his job as the Tech athletic director on Friday.

But there’s been plenty of speculation that Knight is on the way out with his team stuck near the bottom of the Big 12 standings.

“You can’t control that stuff,” Knight said. “I’m the coach of the team until I die or they fire me, and I’m going to keep working hard. It’s just part of the business.

“The only sad thing that I don’t like, you have families involved. I can take it, but my assistants got families and stuff, so when you’re left hanging in the air, it’s not very good for them. I’ve grown up around this, so this stuff doesn’t bother me, but I worry about it because I’m in charge of a bunch of families.”

Knight did not expect to be in this position when the year started with a senior-laden roster, led by John Roberson and Mike Singletary. Neither player has performed up to expectations.

TRIBUNE POWER POLL

Kansas (27-2, 12-2)

Texas (24-5, 12-2)

Kansas St. (20-9, 8-6)

Texas A&M (22-6, 9-5)

Missouri (22-7, 8-6)

Colorado (18-11, 7-7)

Baylor (18-10, 7-7)

Nebraska (18-10, 6-8)

Okla. St. (17-11, 5-9)

Texas Tech (12-17, 4-10)

Oklahoma (12-16, 4-10)

Iowa State (15-14, 2-12)

GAME OF THE WEEK

Kansas at Missouri, Saturday 11 a.m. (KRCG)

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